Official MLBlog of the Kansas City Royals front office.

Results tagged ‘ Halfway to St. Paddy's Day ’

The Royals return to Kansas City on Monday, September 13 for a six-game homestand. The Oakland Athletics visit Kauffman Stadium for a three-game series, September 13-15, which opens with a special 2:10 p.m. matinee on Monday prior to the Monday Night Football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Following an off day on September 16, the Royals host the Cleveland Indians for a three-game weekend set, September 17-19.

The homestand is packed with great giveaways and special events, including a Joakim Soria T-Shirt Tuesday, a Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration, the second Girls Night Out event of the season, and more.

· PARKING NOTE FOR ROYALS/CHIEFS DOUBLEHEADER – Fans will be asked to exit the Truman Sports Complex at the conclusion of the Royals game unless they have purchased two-pack parking for both the Royals and Chiefs games. Two-pack parking may be purchased for $32 (cash only) as fans enter the tollgates. Fans attending the Royals game only may enter the complex using a Royals parking pass, parking purchased in advance at royals.com or by paying $10 (cash only) at the tollgates.

Tuesday, September 14 – Oakland Athletics vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m.

· Viva Los Royals presented by Sprint – The pregame celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Outfield Experience. Fans can enjoy dance performances from el Grupo Atotonilco, as well as live music from Gustavo Cornejo, Kontrolando Show and MRM courtesy of La Super X-1250 AM. www.royals.com/viva.

· Elvis Night – Break out your blue suede shoes and join us for Elvis Night! The pregame party starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Outfield Experience with Elvis impersonator E-Rock taking the stage at 6:00 p.m. A costume contest will follow at 6:50 p.m. with the chance to win a Royals prize pack. KCMO 94.9 FM morning show host Dick Wilson will also be on hand for a live remote throughout the pregame event. www.royals.com/elvis.

· Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day – The annual Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Outfield Experience. The festivities will feature a performance by local Irish band Flannigan’s Right Hook and green draft beer. Ticket packages, which include a game ticket, $6 in loaded value for concessions or retail purchases, and a green and white Royals cap, are available at www.royals.com/irish. Please note that the pictured cap is exclusive to the Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day ticket package.

· Hy-Vee/Pepsi Fireworks Fridays – A spectacular fireworks show after every Friday home game.

· Girls Night Out presented by Chevy – A special pregame happy hour is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Outfield Experience for those with Girls Night Out VIP ticket packages and will open up to all ladies at 4:30 p.m. The event will feature mini spa services, product sampling from Hy-Vee and Pepsi, entertainment from Howl at the Moon dueling pianos, and a fall fashion show from Macy’s. Girls Night Out media partner 98.1 KUDL will be on hand, and NBC Action News anchor Christa Dubill is scheduled to emcee the event. Fans can purchase a Girls Night Out package, which includes a game ticket with $6 in loaded value, a specially-designed Royals t-shirt and a $5 donation to the American Heart Association, online at www.royals.com/girlsnightout or by phone at 1-800-6ROYALS. Please note that the shirt is exclusive to the Girls Night Out ticket package.

· Royals Cap – In conjunction with the Girls Night Out event, the first 10,000 ladies through the gates will receive a Royals knit cap courtesy of Chevy.

· 610 Saturday – Enjoy great food, live music and activities for fans of all ages prior to the game in the Outfield Experience. www.royals.com/610saturday.

Sunday, September 19 – Cleveland Indians vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m.

· Silly Bandz Day – The first 8,000 kids age 14 and under receive a pack of Silly Bandz featuring Royals-themed designs.

· Fun Run presented by Sprint. All fans can run the bases after the game (conditions permitting).

TRAFFIC REMINDER: The Royals remind fans that Stadium Drive is currently closed at Raytown Road. To access parking on the west side of Kauffman Stadium, fans may proceed on Raytown Road past Stadium Drive and enter the Truman Sports Complex through Gate 5. To access parking on the east side of Kauffman Stadium, fans may continue on Raytown Road approximately one mile past Gate 5 and enter the complex through Gate 4.

Around the Horn got a treat today with the final State Farm Legends Luncheon of the season. General Manager Dayton Moore and manager Trey Hillman chatted with former Royals Al Fitzmorris and Willie Wilson for a few hours in downtown Kansas City and we got to listen.

For today, we’re going to give you a taste of what went on during the event.

If you haven’t been to one of these, we here at ATH strongly recommend them. Wilson and Fitzmorris serve as the host and talk to guests who are connected to Kansas City baseball or even players and coaches who represent the legacy of the Negro Leagues and Buck O’Neil. For more info, check out www.bestofbuck.com.

Today’s session started with a thank you to all those in attendance. Through nine years of Luncheons, over $100,000 have been raised for the Negro Leagues Museum. That’s a substantial sum for what started as an idea hatched in a conference room.

Once Wilson and Fitzmorris took the stage, they introduced Hillman and Moore. Wilson, who endorsed TeamSmile before the interview started, thanked Moore and his staff for bringing back the Royals Alumni. Wilson said he really enjoys being involved in the organization again and feels it will help re-instill the tradition of the franchise to the new players.

Wilson said it means a lot to him because he has a strong connection with the Royals. He worked his way through the system. So when he got to the bigs, he felt ownership over the team and pride in the uniform he wore. Similar to how he felt once he reached the Majors, Wilson said 60 percent of the Major League club needs to be grown through the farm system.

Moore agreed with him and spoke about being able to draft. He said that in the past, it wasn’t totally an issue of money being put into the draft, but instead the picks which did get the money didn’t pan out the way they should have. The philosophy has changed.

“You have to draft on ability and not signability,” Moore said.

Moore then talked about growing scouting everywhere and not just looking at the draft as a means of acquiring talent to be groomed. At this moment, the team is working on developing a foothold in the Eastern Rim – with area scouts and talent evaluators. The team is also ramping up efforts in Latin America and becoming more aggressive in the Dominican Republic, where the Royals already have a baseball academy.

To grow the system even more, programs are in place for the Fall Instructional League that will allow players who workout during the day and attend classes at night at Glendale (AZ) Community College. They will learn about leadership, character and responsibility on and off the field. Moore said this is something no other team is doing.

Wilson said home-grown players have an attachment to the “Blue and White,” a bond they’ve formed with the team since entering the organization and then continued as they flourished inside of it. Moore seconded his thoughts, saying “Players have to feel strongly about putting on the Royal uniform.”

These programs are making the Royals the toast of the league. In some respects, the Major League club may not be the strongest competition, but scouts are raving about the work going on in the Minor Leagues and at the scouting level. But there is still a lot of heavy lifting to be done.

For example, he threw out a few names the Detroit Tigers picked up over the last offseason. To acquire Edgar Renteria, the Royals would have had to give up Luke Hochevar and Dan Cortes. To get Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera they might have had to fork over Hochevar, Cortes, Derrick Robinson and maybe even Danny Duffy. Those trades would have decimated a thin minor league system. Moore said beyond those few, there was a large gap to get to the next tier of talent in the system.

“Before we build a great farm system, it will be very difficult to impact the Major League team,” Moore said.

ShortThe Royals are 10-5 this month, eclipsing their 2007 September win total with 11 games left in the season…When Brandon Duckworth struck out Wladimir Balentien to end the sixth inning; the 2008 pitching staff become the Royals strikeout kings. They passed the 1990 staff which had 1,006 punch outs with Duckworth’s K and ended the night with 1,010 for the season. That number is sure to skyrocket with Gil Meche and Zack Greinke likely to get at least two starts still (both are in the American League’s top 10 for K’s this season)…As a team, the K.C. offense produced a cycle in the fifth inning last night. It was the first time since June 14, 2007 that the Royals have singled, doubled, tripled and homered in one inning.

Kyle Davies pitched arguably his best game as a Royal – if not his career – last night. As he dominated the Mariner hitters, the Royals got on the board and secured a solid victory.

Last night was an example of how the Royals want to win ballgames. Strong starting pitching, followed by a shut down bullpen and then an offense which will get the job done. To look at how that happened last night, let’s go Around the Horn…

FirstHe’s had two other eight strikeout efforts and he’s had two other eight inning games (one complete game). He’s also held opponents scoreless before. But Kyle Davies had never brought all of those elements together in one outing before last night.

The other impressive number about Davies’ four-hitter? Zero walks. He didn’t walk anyone, something he has not done this season. In fact he’s only recorded two other walkless starts, both of which were less than six innings.

Davies retired the first 12 batters he faced until Jose Lopez singled to lead off the fifth inning. Davies also combated another problem he’s had this season. He kept his pitch count low. He threw 98 pitches during his eight innings of work.

Manager Trey Hillman called Davies performance the best he’s seen.

SecondJose Guillen has hit in a career-high 13 games. Since his career started in 1997, he hadn’t hit in 13 straight, but he’s on that kind of a roll now.

Maybe more impressively, he has nine multi-hit games during his current hitting streak, including a 2-for-4 night last night with a double and a run scored.

Guillen is hitting .418, banging seven doubles and two homers with 12 RBI during his 13-game streak. He’s also scored six runs. With his recent surge, he has repositioned himself for a shot at 100 RBI and if he stays hot, he’ll have a chance to eclipse his career high of 104 (set in 2003). His 2003 season is his only 100-plus RBI season, though he reached 99 last year in Seattle.

ShortOne strikeout is all the Club needs to tie its single-season record. The 1990 pitching staff fanned 1,006 batters compared to this season’s 1,005, which is the sixth-highest total in the American League this season…Alberto Callaspo also has a career-high hitting streak going at nine games…Ryan Shealy has reached base in seven of his eight games and is hitting .387…Mike Aviles has scored nine runs during his seven-game hitting streak and is one of five Royals with over 60 runs this season…David DeJesus snapped a 127-game errorless streak with his throwing error in the sixth…Mark Teahen is hitting .338 since August 27 with nine extra base hits…From Trey Hillman’s pregame press conference: “Nothing is more powerful to the atmosphere than winning,” Hillman said in response to the environment in the Royals clubhouse before today’s game (the lights were dimmed, music was pumping and some players were dancing)…Also: “Pitching is as contagious as hitting,” Hillman said voicing his hopes for Brandon Duckworth’s start tonight following last night’s four-hit shutout.

ThirdHow can you beat the deal we got going here tonight? $3 tickets and a long-sleeve tee upon entering.

A week from Saturday, you – the fan – have an opportunity that doesn’t come along all the time. It’s your chance to get a game-worn Royals jersey – literally minutes after the game.

Interested? Let’s go Around the Horn…

First“Shirts Off Their Backs” is a major highlight for Fan Appreciation weekend. For just $1, you can buy a chance to win a game-worn jersey from the White Sox game on September 20. Each of the 35-40 players in uniform will be on hand to sign and deliver their jersey to the winners immediately after the game.

Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the stadium – in the stands, at the gates, booths, etc. The instant scratch win tickets will correspond with a jersey and will guarantee the ticket holder their prize (you must be in attendance to win).

Following the game, winners will be escorted onto the field and be presented with their jersey. Players will sign their jerseys and hand them over. So you might be the lucky winner to get an Alex Gordon jersey (he should be off the Disabled List by then) directly from the Royals’ third baseman, complete with dirt stains and his autograph.

All proceeds from the event will go to support Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City based charity which helps provide a safe, loving and educational environment for children living in poverty. The United Way Agency expanded its facility in 2006, allowing it increase the number of children it helps from 353 to 674. The program has been helping Kansas Citians since 1971.

SecondThe Burlington Bees start their final series of the season tonight. They will meet the South Bend Silverhawks in Game 1 tonight of the Midwest League’s Championship. Game 2 will be tomorrow night, also at Burlington Community Field. The series then moves to South Bend with at least one game on Friday. It’s a best-of-five series and the final three are scheduled as away games for Burlington.

ShortThe Royals bullpen hasn’t allowed a run in its last 9 1/3 innings…Devon Lowery made his second Major League appearance and struck out one. He’s retired 6-of-7 hitters he’s faced in the bigs…Jose Guillen had a RBI double last night during his seventh three-hit game and is tied for the team lead with 39 multi-hit games, with hits in six straight…Longtime captain and Royals slugger Mike Sweeney was released by the Oakland Athletics. Sweeney will most likely undergo microfracture surgery on both knees if he wants to make a bid to play again next season.

ThirdSeveral great deals not to forget about as we approach the final home stand:

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